Imamoglu surprise in AKP and MHP strongholds: Major support for CHP
During an event held by the CHP in Bayburt as part of its "Defending the National Will" campaign, it emerged that the majority of the public in the city, known as an AKP-MHP stronghold, does not believe the accusations directed at Imamoglu.
12punto
The CHP continues to hold simultaneous protests in 11 cities in response to the judicial process targeting Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and several IBB bureaucrats. These events, titled "Defending the National Will," are drawing attention with public gatherings and calls for "freedom for Imamoglu."
In addition to the meetings the CHP has been holding in various districts of Istanbul within this scope, public opinion is also being shaped in Anatolian cities.
RALLY BANNED IN BAYBURT, BUT PARTICIPATION NOT PREVENTED
One of the protests took place on June 14 in Bayburt, which is considered one of the AKP's strongholds. When the Bayburt Governor's Office did not grant permission for a rally in the city center, the meeting was held in front of the Genç Osman Stadium. As CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel also pointed out, the public's intense interest in the event despite the rally ban was interpreted as a "harbinger of change."
PUBLIC DOES NOT FIND ACCUSATIONS REALISTIC
According to a report by Mustafa Bildircin from BirGun, the CHP's field work and public opinion research in the region showed that the vast majority of the people of Bayburt do not believe the accusations directed at Ekrem İmamoğlu.
According to the survey, the rate of those who believe the accusations are true remained at 48 percent, while 52 percent stated that they did not find these accusations credible.
SUPPORT FOR CHP HAS BECOME "BEYOND PARTY LINES"
A more striking piece of data came from the political identity of those attending the protest. 59 percent of the participants said, "I am not a CHP member, I only came to support against injustice," showing that the event went far beyond party boundaries. This picture becomes even more remarkable when considering that the CHP received only 4 percent of the vote in Bayburt in the March 31, 2024 elections.
THE SURVEY ON OZEL'S DESK
In the latest survey shared by CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel during his visit to Silivri in recent weeks, the party's vote share was measured at 40.4 percent when undecided voters were distributed. In the same survey, the AKP's vote share remained at 34.6 percent. With this momentum, the CHP argues that it is expanding not only politically but also through mass support based on "defending the national will."
While the CHP leadership maintains the view that the judicial processes against Imamoglu are politicized, it announced that public meetings and protests will continue across Turkey. Party officials are also preparing to bring the "early election" discourse back to the agenda within this framework.
